The following description relates to installing an application on a mobile device such as a mobile phone or hand-held computer.
Mobile devices, such as mobile phones, are increasingly available with a wide variety of software and hardware features including personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, and the ability to run third-party computer software (e.g., applications and/or program data). For example, many phones are capable of downloading and playing ringtones provided by a third-party.
When a user of a mobile device desires to install an application or ringtone on the phone, the user typically must use the interface of the mobile device, which in the case of a mobile phone, is typically a combination of a twelve-button keypad and a small liquid crystal display (LCD), to navigate across multiple menus associated with one or more mobile device content providers in order to manually search for the application. Then, the user typically uses the mobile device interface to download and install the application.
After using a mobile device for a substantial period of time, users often desire to replace the mobile device for any of a number of reasons. For example, a user may desire a newer model mobile device, or a user may wish to change service providers and a wireless service provider requires the use of a different model mobile device. In any case, a user may desire to have the applications and/or program data that were available on the original mobile device transferred to the replacement mobile device. However, a replacement mobile device may have a different runtime environment or version of the runtime environment, such that the applications that were available for the previous device are not necessarily compatible with the replacement device.